A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade Union warned that the service was being “decimated”:

“These proposals present the biggest threat to the London Fire Brigade since the days of the Luftwaffe and would lead to the decimation of fire cover in London. The stations under threat of closure have stood proudly for generations, protecting local residents from bombs, fire and terrorism, yet Boris Johnson is about to hammer a ‘For Sale’ sign on to their front doors.”

Boris Johnson said at Mayor’s Questions today that average fire response times would not drop below six minutes under his plans.

He insisted that “what matters to us is that response times must be kept low.”

The full proposals are due to be announced next month.

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